Pumpkin Seed, Rosemary, and Bacon Brittle
This simple brittle is a combination of unforgettable textures, flavors, and colors. Pumpkin seeds (pepitas), crumbled cooked bacon, and fresh chopped rosemary are combined with sugar, water, and whipped egg white. The brittle is baked until crispy, cooled, and then broken into small pieces. Serve with cheeses, or sprinkle over a mixed green salad with a crumble of soft goat or blue cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 strips bacon preferably country-style or thick-sliced
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh rosemary finely chopped; or 1 tablespoon, dried and crumbled
- 1 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds pepitas
- 1 medium or large egg white
Instructions
- ►Cook bacon in a skillet over moderate heat until crisp and cooked through. Drain on paper towel and crumble into small, but not tiny, pieces and set aside.
- ►Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
- ►In a medium bowl mix together sugar, salt, rosemary, bacon pieces, and pumpkin seeds.
- ►In a small bowl whisk egg white until just frothy. (You don’t want to overbeat the egg white too much or the brittle will puff up and have too much air.) Fold egg white (every last bit) into sugar and
- pumpkin seed mixture, stirring to coat everything well.
- ►Using a soft spatula, spread brittle mixture onto prepared baking sheet thinly and evenly. Bake
- on the middle shelf for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until brittle turns a rich golden brown and is slightly puffed and not wet-looking. Remove and cool on a cooling rack. When cool separate brittle into small pieces. It will keep, covered, in a cookie tin or a tightly sealed plastic bag for several days.
Kathy Gunst
James Beard Award-winning food journalist Kathy Gunst always has cheese in her refrigerator and is constantly on the lookout for new pairing combinations. The author of 16 cookbooks, her most recent work is Rage Baking—The Transformative Power of Flour, Fury and Women’s Voices. She writes for the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Eating Well, and other publications.
